Results for subject term " Many Black people found work at the hat factory or in the hat making industry. Hats were and are important to Black culture, Black women wanted to look their best when worshiping and the hats were considered a way to honor God. But wearing them isn’t just about fashion. It’s a deeply rooted African tradition that has both spiritual and cultural significance. The hats are considered a woman’s crown and they symbolize triumph over hardship. <br />
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"Hats and headdresses play a significant, often symbolic role, throughout the African Diaspora," wrote Mary Jo Arnoldi and Christine Mullen Kreamer, who co-curated an exhibit for the Smithsonian Institution in the mid-1990s. "Hats became a way for African-American women to express individuality and creativity during slavery and under the Jim Crow laws." "